


Catching Little Words

by bethecrayon



Series: Communication-verse [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22298038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethecrayon/pseuds/bethecrayon
Summary: Living together with Tony has, after a single sweet and genuine comment and less than one full day in, become both the best and worst thing to ever happen to Connor Whisk. Maybe that's worth unpacking more than the laundry.---Sometimes I crave the WhiskeyTango content, so I get them together myself.
Relationships: Tony "Tango" Tangredi/Connor "Whiskey" Whisk
Series: Communication-verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668733
Comments: 16
Kudos: 117





	Catching Little Words

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to my delightful pal and beta reader because I don't know how commas work in my own writing and at this point I'm too afraid to ask!  
> Was this fic title generated from a fic title generator of Hozier lyrics? Of course. Bold of you to assume I know how to title my own fics.  
> Feel free to yell at me about this or anything omgcp on tumblr: jam-heathen.

Connor Whisk is pretty sure putting away laundry is the worst chore. He's felt that way since he was six and Mama started getting his help with things around the house. It's the start of a new semester and he's moving into the attic with Tony, though, so he's willing to make more of an effort at being a good roommate. Anthony Tangredi deserves the world; folding laundry is the least Connor can do. 

They've been friends since freshman year, and that counts for a lot as far as Connor is concerned. Tony's good company; he's become a calming force in Connor's life even when he's bouncing off the walls with questions. Whatever feelings have been nagging at Connor since he broke up with Chad L. (mutual, things had just run their course) are just going to have to wait. Those are not what’s being dealt with right now.

“Hey, Connor?" 

Whiskey smiles despite himself. It's not the first question Tango's asked since they've moved into the attic, but it’s still nice to have him right here. They talked a lot over the summer (text and even Skype a few times) but it's not quite the same as hanging out with his best friend in person.

"Sup, Tony?"

Tango sets the box he’s carrying on the bottom bunk before speaking again. "Are you freaking out about this season too?" 

That gives Connor a bit of pause. He isn’t quite sure what this is all about, but still offers, “Like generally, as in how I freak out about every season, or...?”

“Oh, uh, no. I mean more like we’re juniors now and the new frogs or whatever we’re calling them— did we name them yet by the way?— are looking up to us and I don’t really feel any wiser or anything, so I don’t really know what to tell them.”

“Tell them the truth, Tones. Or at least the closest thing you know. We're all a team, and we're all figuring things out together. They'll be okay. So will we." Whiskey shrugs, figuring that'll get the conversation rolling whether or not that's the kind of comfort Tango was looking for.

His heart flutters a little when Tony smiles softly in response. "This is why I'm glad you're one of our co-captains. You're so good at this."

Living together with Tony has, after a single sweet and genuine comment and less than one full day in, become both the best and worst thing to ever happen to Connor Whisk. Maybe that's worth unpacking more than the laundry.

_X_ _X_ _X_

Whiskey knocks on the bungalow door and waits. He's pretty sure Nursey has class right now, but he isn't about to find out he's wrong the hard way. Dex tells him to come in, so Whiskey does even though he feels kind of awkward about this whole thing. 

Dex, on the other hand, appears as relaxed and content as one could be working through a problem set and leaning back against his headboard. Dating Nursey’s been good for him; Whiskey makes a mental note to chirp him about it later.

“Hey, can I talk to you?”

"Weird time for a co-captain strategy meeting, Whiskey, but yeah, of course."

“It’s not official co-captain business, really.”

Dex furrows his brow for a minute, closes his notebook and laptop, and sets them aside in favor of turning toward Whiskey. “Okay,” Dex responds, motioning toward a chair for Whiskey to sit, “sounds like a kinda serious deal. What’s up?”

Whiskey bites his lip for a couple times trying to think through how he wants to phrase this. He opens his mouth to finally respond, but, before he can launch into what the actual problem is, Nursey walks in.

“Hey, babe, I had the best— woah, hey Whisk.” Nursey looks between the two of them and asks, “Co-captain meeting I missed the memo on, or is this a meeting of the Problem Solvers Club?” 

It’s a light-hearted chirp, a reference to last spring when, during a Haus get together, Dex and Whiskey both got drunker than they had meant to and began sketching out plans and promises to solve “just all the problems. Every last team issue.” (He and Poindexter are practical guys. You make things easier for people you care about. Doesn’t mean there’s a club.)

Dex handles the chirp for them both, though. “Nah, the captaincy is going smoothly and we’re sober, so no club meetings. Though if you wanted to go get some beers for dinner we could do a whole Netflix thing?”

Watching Dex and Nursey communicate on-ice has always been kind of like watching telepathy in action, but now that they're dating they break out the non-verbal cues off-ice as well. Enduring them almost certainly having a completely silent conversation over his head would be a little insulting if Whiskey didn't think it was working in his favor this time.

"Chyeah, okay. Sounds like a date, Dexalicious. Catch ya later, Whiskey," Nursey, as quick as he arrived, is out the door with a jaunty half wave. Dex watches him go with the softest smile Whiskey's ever seen plastered across his face. 

Whiskey clears his throat. "You know how we banned relationship fines after everyone in the Haus was about to cough up their retirement funds?" Dex makes a noise of acknowledgement. "You two are lucky we did, or you'd be paying off your fines until you're 80."

Dex arches a knowing eyebrow. "You know, if you just came down to chirp me I could've let Derek stay.

Whiskey sighs. "No, I did want to talk to you. Actually about something kind of related to that. Or I guess wanting that for me and Tony? How the hell did you get there with Nursey?"

"Oh. Uh, okay." Dex seems slightly confused, but otherwise fine with the question. Whiskey counts it as a win. "But, dude, wild choice picking me to talk you through romance."

"Yeah I didn't think you'd be my first choice either," Whiskey shrugs, "but when I thought about it, we've got a decent amount in common and it makes sense. So, for science, deets. How'd you do it?"

"You're gonna hate this, but I kind of didn't. We played a game of 20 questions on New Year's Eve and he called me out for being weird around him. He had this look on his face like he really needed to know the truth, so I kind of just told him I like his stupid face and wanted to kiss him." 

Connor waits for Dex to keep talking, but that seemed to be the whole story.

"I want to fine you so bad right now,” he says.

Dex looks mildly offended at that. "Hey, you asked!"

"Yeah, and while that's so adorable it's nauseating, it doesn't do much in the way of helping me. I can't exactly walk up to the attic and tell Tony sometimes he smiles at me and I would give him my wallet, social security number, and left kidney if he'd keep doing it."

Dex snickers. "Well, of course not. He's in class right now. But you could try talking to him in general. Communication does wonders."

"Gross. This is why I didn't go to Chowder. I wanted romance life hacks, man."

"Oh yeah, love is mega gross." Dex rolls his eyes but seems fond. "It's worth it though, and you know I'm right."

Whiskey stands up to leave (and maybe find Tony anyway, not that he'd tell Dex that), but pauses at the door and looks over his shoulder. "I'll let you know what ends up happening. Thanks for the talk."

"Any time, dude," Dex smiles. "It's what friends are for."

_X_ _X_ _X_

Whiskey waits a few days, letting Dex's advice sink in, before deciding he has no idea how to start a conversation like that. Tony means way too much to him to screw this up. So clearly the reasonable solution is crashing the standing Annie's appointment Chowder and Ford have developed.

Chowder starts beaming as soon as he shows up despite the lack of invite. "Whiskey! Hey, you're not usually here. It's nice you are this time, though! Wanna grab a seat?"

He slides into the booth beside Ford, who bumps her shoulder against his with a friendly smirk. "So what," she says, passing Whiskey some creamer for his coffee, "has brought Connor Whisk here to court?"

"You two have emotional intelligence."

Chowder's brow furrows in confusion. "Thank you? I think?"

"No, it's definitely a good thing. I wanted some advice if it was cool with you guys."

"Oh!" Ford pipes up gently putting a hand on his forearm. It's not enough to hold him there by any means but grounding nonetheless. "Of course, Connor. What's going on?"

When Chowder nods his agreement, Whiskey launches in. "So I realized I probably have feelings for someone. And by 'probably' I mean definitely. And by 'have feelings' I mean 'have it so bad his presence lights up my life kinda deal.' So I asked Dex." 

Whiskey glares as Chowder mutters a chirp about club meetings. Ford nudges him in the side after a moment, so Whiskey resumes his monologue.

"Anyway, Dex had some decent points about communication and said that I should try that. So that's my plan I guess. But how do you start those conversations? Because I really don't want to mess this up, and even if it doesn't turn into anything I'd rather not fuck up our friendship if possible."

Chowder takes a moment to think, and then shrugs. "I know it sounds cliche, but direct is probably the best for you. Seems like you know the gist of what you want to say, but just need to write it out or something. Then just ask him for some patience and let him know what you wrote down."

Ford, on the other hand, raises a single eyebrow and quirks a smile. "Now I don't want to assume," she says voice laced with amusement, "but if this is about who I'm thinking, you're probably more ready than you're giving yourself credit for anyway. I gotta agree with Chowder here. Just think through the points you wanna make and go for it."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Whisk, there's no guarantee of anything. You could talk and it could turn into nothing," Ford concedes.

"But, also, what if it's everything?" Chowder finishes.

_X_ _X_ _X_

Whiskey makes a point of spending as much time as possible with Tango. It's been true since early on in freshman year, and his desire to do so has only gotten stronger as time has gone on. May as well indulge it, too, if he's going to find a way to convey all his romantic feelings in normal human words and not three over dramatic hand gestures. 

Conveniently Tango seems to always want to loop Whiskey into his plans. Inconveniently, Tango's latest plan is a day at the amusement park. 

Whiskey spends the early part of the afternoon artfully steering Tango away from rollercoasters and toward all kinds of diet plan ruining food booths and clearly rigged game stands. By sunset, though, Tango is determined to go on the Ferris wheel. His reasoning is solid— the view of the sunset is always amazing from the top— and Connor trusts Tony for all the world, but it doesn't get rid of his nerves completely. Still, he lets Tony drag him onto a glorified bench to see the sunset from up high.

As they reach the top, the wheel slows before clunking to a complete stop. Their chair swings limply as a worker's voice comes over the PA to announce a minor technical difficulty. Before the announcement is finished Connor has his eyes slammed shut and a hard grip on the safety bar. He feels, rather than sees, Tango turn toward him.

"Hey, Whiskey," Tony's voice is incredibly gentle. "Are you okay?"

Whiskey swallows and tries his best to keep his voice from trembling. "I mean I hate heights, so no, not really."

"Whiskey! If you hate heights we could've done anything else! Is there anything I can do?"

Connor keeps his eyes shut but pries his right hand off the seat rail, flipping his palm upwards. Before he can worry about being rejected on a broken Ferris wheel being worse than just being stuck on one, Tony laces his fingers through Connor's and gives a reassuring squeeze.

It's silent for a while, and Whiskey focuses on breathing (both because he's holding Tango's hand and because they really are high up) until Tony pipes up again. 

"Um. You don't have to answer if you don't want to,” Tony says, “but why did you go on the Ferris wheel with me if you're scared of heights?"

Whiskey shrugs. Or at least, he thinks he does. Now seems like a good time for minimal movement. "You wanted to."

"Right but if you said—"

"Tones. I like doing things you want to. You were gonna be there the whole time, and it wasn't that bad until we got stuck. I'm not mad at you or anything."

Tony lets out a nervous chuckle before he speaks again. "I honestly just wanted to have a good time with you. I'd have never suggested it had I known. I guess this sucks as a date idea, huh?" Tango immediately tenses and goes to pull his hand away from Whiskey's but Connor tightens his grip a little.

"I would rather keep this if that's cool with you," he says.

Tony relaxes a little and squeezes Connor's hand again. 

"Also, uh," Connor lets out a long breath and decides to go for it, "if you meant the whole date thing, the rest of the day was pretty good. We could probably make up for this part with a second date. Maybe something on the ground, like a movie."

Tony's silent for long enough that Connor almost risks the terror that would come with opening his eyes just to gauge his expression. Finally Tango sighs and says, "I can't tell if you're serious with your eyes closed. The eyebrow movements give you away usually."

Well, that's not what Connor was expecting, but it doesn't sound like Tony's asking him to take an out. Today's already scary as hell; may as well go for it. "Super serious. I mean as long as you are. I've kinda been trying to figure out a way to bring it up since we moved in."

Connor can feel the chair swing just a little as Tony shifts, and then he feels Tony hesitantly kiss his cheek. It's sweet and gentle and feels weirdly monumental for something so small. "We can do a second date on the ground," Tony chuckles, leaning his head on Connor's shoulder. "A movie sounds nice."

**Author's Note:**

> You know that avoiding law school feel where you write and post fic? No? Haha, me either. I don't know who procrastination is and I'm not taking comments on that assertion at this time.
> 
> This isn't a sequel to my NurseyDex fic, but it is in the same timeline (peep that get together description from Dex lol). I actually do have a direct sequel for that fic that takes place after this. This is the timeline where we communicate, damn it!


End file.
